Councillor blasts “abysmal” level of new social housing being built across Lichfield and Burntwood

The amount of new social housing beingbuilt across Lichfield and Burntwood has been branded “abysmal”.

Figures revealed to a meeting of Lichfield District Council this week showed that of the 522 homes built from 2015 to 2017, just 77 were in the affordable housing bracket – with 50 of those for rent rather than purchase.

Cllr Eric Drinkwater

The statistics were revealed after a question from Burntwood Labour councillor Eric Drinkwater who said the numbers were not acceptable.

“This is an abysmal record on social housing,” he told the meeting. “At a time when people are crying out for homes and are living in bedsits or are homeless, it is unacceptable.

“We need reassurances that this record is going to be improved.”

Cllr Mike Wilcox, Conservative leader of Lichfield District Council, said the local authority was committed to ensuring more social housing was made available.

“The figures for 2017/18 are not yet published, but it is anticipated that over 500 houses will be delivered and provisional figures for affordable housing show that there will be 135, of which 99 are social housing for rent.”

1 Comment

Colin Ball

1st July, 2018 at 11:28 am

Thanks, Eric, for bringing yet another abysmal failure of this Tory Disctrict Council to everyone’s attention – as if the Friarsgate fiasco wasn’t enough! However, thinking about it, the mess up on Friarsgate could be an opportunity in disguise, if the Tories take up my suggestion of an all party Working Group and come up with a better, smaller scale and more deliverable plan for the site – including lots more social housing. If I’m elected to the District Council next Thursday, I will be arguing for this very strongly – and for Mike Wilcox and the rest of his remaining Cabinet to resign.

Colin Ball – Labour Party Candidate for the Curborough Ward in the City and District Council By-Election.